2001 Grand am not starting

[cfarris]

I own a 2001 Grand am se. A few monnths ago, my husband took out the factory stereo and installed another we bought.We also hooked up a set of 15 inch speakers with an amplifier. He said he couldn`t find the wire to make it turn off the stereo when I turned the car off, so I would have to turn it off manually.That was fine because I take the faceplate off and put it in the glove box anyway. To get to the point after a few weeks, the car got to where it wouldn`t start sometimes.
We were told the amplifier might be staying on so we cut the wire to it. Now it will start good sometimes for 2 or 3 days then I go out to go to work and it want start. The headlights come on,but when I turn the key they go off completely. When I try to start it it sounds like its going to but it just wont catch. Is it possible that the stereo is staying on even after I turn it off and remove the faceplate? And would it completely drain the battery overnite? Whats going on with my car?

[XtremeXP]

when it won't crank is the security light flashing?

[cfarris]

No, The security light is not flashing. It happened again this week. Drove it all week then went out friday to go to work and it wouldnt work. Husband going to see what he can do with it today. Maybe a battery with higher cranking power?

[Jpit]

Sounds like your stereo is draining the battery.

[Evil_Incarnate]

It is possible that the head unit not powering off is killing the battery. You should have the head unit properly installed for starters. See the stereo has two power lines one for memory and one for main power, the main power is on when the car is on, the memory line is to keep the power to save time and station presets. Here is a little wiring advice for your husband and you.

Red = 12V Power
Black = Ground
Blue = Remote/Power Antenna Line
Orange = Memory

These are the most common color setups, when your husband hooked up the subs he should have run the remote line (Blue) to the subs amp that way they would turn on and off with the car. I have had to jump wires off of other items in the car to make them work properly in older vehicles where all the necessary lines were not available. Like running an individual line from the fuse box directly to the orange memory line, also if your stereo does not have a remote line, you can hook off of the main line for the stereo(the one that comes on when the car is on) a good idea when ever you are not using a factory remote line or are haveing power loss problems is to hook up a toggle switch on the remote line to the amp. So say your husband wires the amp line off the main power line to the remote line, he could then install a toggle switch in this line, when the switch is on the subs are on, the switch is off the subs are off. Of course if you have to go through all of this to wire your subs from your head, might think about getting a better head unit and of course most places will do installation for free or low cost with the purchase of a new unit.

[Overtime]

In my Haynes manual, which only covers thru 98, the wire colors are:

Orange - always hot
Yellow - Accessory

However, you mentioned amplifier and 15 inch woofers. I had this problem in my car. My stereo put too much drain on the alternator and it toasted it slowly. By the time I replaced it, the alternator was putting out 2 volts. I replced it with a high output model and haven't had that problem since.... but it was rather expensive.

[justhunt25]

You Can check with your local stereo shop they should have the harness, It is a relocation harness and after market stereo hook up harness it relocates the oem stereo to the trunk of the car, the factory stereo and computer talk to each other so therefor it cannot be removed.....

[kazy_48098]

Xtreme? You mentioned the security light coming on. I am having that problem. The Service engine soon light comes in and out. Next morning car won't start. Only Cranks. Pretty sure security light flashes. Happened before and towed car to dealer, but dealer said car started fine next morning. Any ideas?

[Overtime]

I had this problem with mine, but the solution was a replacement of the ECM, Key cylinder and the wire routing between them. The computer went bad, pouring voltage into the tamper switch in the key cylinder, burning it out, and it built up resistance in the wire leading to it. Took 4 months to get it all figured out. Mine started the same way yours sounds.

[Overtime]

oops, mine at least cranked for a second and stopped with the security light flashing and then stopped on.

[XtremeXP]

Kazy 48098 if the security light is flashing leave the key in the on position for about 15 minutes or until the security light quits flashing. Then take the key completely out and then put the key back in and it should crank if it's the same problem as mine. We gotta take ours back to the shop. They said the computer needed reprogramming so they did that and the very next day the same thing is wrong. I've heard it might be the ignition switch but I'll let them figure it out. As far as the service engine light you need to have the codes pulled to see what's causing that.

[kazy_48098]

Works great now. I waited for 15 minutes and it started fine. Wish I would have known about this sooner. I have taken this to dealer while it was under warranty and they always blamed it on the automatic starter. Now its out of warranty. You think they would take care of it?

[XtremeXP]

Originally Posted by kazy_48098

Works great now. I waited for 15 minutes and it started fine. Wish I would have known about this sooner. I have taken this to dealer while it was under warranty and they always blamed it on the automatic starter. Now its out of warranty. You think they would take care of it?

If they are good company they should have records of you bringing it for that problem when it was under warranty and since they didn't fix it then they would be nice and take care of it. Doesn't hurt to try. Let me know what happens.